Machine-readable identifier on a portion package, which contains ground coffee, for espresso machines

ABSTRACT

A machine readable identification on a single-serving unit containing coffee powder for espresso machines, designed so that it can be read easily and accurately, is structured in a rotation-symmetrical manner and is applied to an essentially level surface of the single-serving unit, whereby the single-serving unit preferably consists of a single-serving capsule ( 1 ) having an essentially circular base ( 2 ) whereupon the identification is applied in a coaxial manner.

[0001] The invention concerns machine readable identification on asingle-serving unit containing coffee powder for espresso machines.

[0002] Another aspect of the invention concerns a system particularlysuitable for the registration of machine readable identification.

[0003] A further aspect of the invention concerns a testing procedurefor the machine readable identification.

[0004] The invention concerns single-serving units for the simplifiedstocking of espresso machines with coffee powder. Increasingly,single-serving capsules or pouches are being used as single-servingunits. The pouches enclose a certain amount of pre-portioned coffeepowder within a transparent material similar to that of coffee filterpaper. Compared to the previously common method of supplying the brewinghead of an espresso machine with loose coffee powder, the use of pouchesis advantageous due to the fact that the coffee powder contained thereinis already pre-pressed, which is important for the generation of crema.

[0005] The single-serving capsules consist mostly of a deep-drawnplastic or aluminium foil and their advantage, when compared to pouches,lies in the fact that they have an air-tight seal and that certainmanufacturers fill them with a protective gas containing the coffeearoma as well. Such pre-proportioned single-serving units are availablefor approximately 10 different coffee fillings. Due to this variety theconsumer is able to stock smaller amounts of different types of coffee.In addition, the use of these single-serving units in conjunction withthe special brewing heads of those espresso machines equipped to processsuch single-serving units results in a reliably constant optimum brew.

[0006] Such espresso machines, already known from EP 1 046 366 A1, forexample, are provided with a storage magazine storing assortedsingle-serving units having different contents that are conveyed fromthe storage magazine into the brewing head during the course of anautomatic brewing process. The storage magazine consists of cartouches,also termed magazine tubes, arranged on a turntable, wherein theindividual single-serving units are stacked. In order to keep thedifferent types of coffee separate and to select different coffee types,each magazine tube is stocked with only one type of coffee. At the startof the brewing process the selected magazine tube is rotated with theturntable into the dispensing position so that the desired type ofcoffee can be obtained. For this purpose the single-serving unit at thebottom of the stack inside the magazine tube is conveyed to a brewingchamber of the brewing head. Preferably each magazine tube is providedwith a window so that the consumer is able to recognize the desired typeof coffee, for example by means of a certain colour that is assigned toa certain type of coffee. It is also possible to equip thesingle-serving units with a certain identification code able to beregistered by a reading device, so that the contents of thesingle-serving units can be recognized electronically. However, thismethod has thus far not been used for presently-known espresso machines.This may be due to the fact that the usual bar code structured in alinear manner to be read by a simple linear reading device must eitherbe positioned correctly with regard to the position of the readingdevice, which is somewhat difficult in view of the inherentrotation-symmetric design of single-serving capsules and pouches due thetechnology of their manufacture, or that an expensive and voluminousdouble mirror scanner is required as the reading device.

[0007] Thus the use of a colour code for the identification ofsingle-serving pouches according to their contents is now the premiermethod of identification. This method allows the consumer, without anyguarantee, however, to stock the magazine tubes of the storage magazinein the correct manner and to select the desired type of coffee prior tothe brewing process. For the automatic selection of one of the magazinetubes whereby the selection of the desired type of coffee is effectedvia a control panel or a knob, the magazine tubes may either be equippedwith machine readable identification, or the respective position of theturntable, starting from a basic position, is electronically computedand stored. However, this system, whereby the correct manual stocking ofthe magazine tubes is assumed, cannot prevent stocking errors resultingin the incorrect automatic selection of the coffee type. This may wellhave very undesirable side effects, for example if a non-decaffeinatedtype of coffee is mistaken for a decaffeinated coffee.

[0008] It is thus the task of the present invention to equip the actualsingle-serving units to be selected with suitable machine readableidentification whereby complicated voluminous double mirror scanners arenot required for reading the identification code and whereby theaccurate alignment of the single-serving pouch with regard to thescanner or its reading unit does not matter. In particular, thedifficult process of aligning a rotation-symmetrical single-servingunit, whereby the shape of the capsule is mainly frustoconical and thepouch is mainly lozenge-shaped, is thus eliminated.

[0009] This task is implemented in a non-complicated manner according tothe characterising part of claim 1 by the fact that the identificationis rotation-symmetrical and is positioned on a mainly level part of thesingle-serving unit.

[0010] According to the invention, direct scanning or immediate readingof the identification on the single-serving unit, particularly of thesingle-serving capsule itself and not of any part of the storagemagazine adjacent to the capsule, guarantees that the selected type ofcoffee is correctly identified with the single-serving unit and isactually being brewed after removal of the single-serving unit from thestorage magazine. The identification can be read easily and accuratelyvia an uncomplicated and compact reading head able to read in a linearmanner, provided that the reading head is able to register therotation-symmetrical identification. However, the rotational or angularposition of the rotation-symmetrical identification with regard to thereading head that reads in a linear manner is not important, whereby thealignment of the single-serving unit with regard to the reading head isgreatly simplified. In addition, the rotation-symmetrical identificationis suitable for testing via a simple procedure according to claim 12.

[0011] The above-mentioned advantage, i.e. that the rotational orangular position of the single-serving unit with regard to the readinghead does not matter, applies particularly to a rotation-symmetricalsingle-serving unit which does not have a preferred position, defined byits shape, around its symmetrical axis. In such cases the identificationis preferably structured in a rotation-symmetrical manner around thissymmetrical axis. Thus the reading head, reading in a linear manner, canregister the identification regardless of the rotational or angularposition of the single-serving unit, so that a single-serving unitstored inside a magazine tube can be identified regardless of therotational position of the single-serving unit inside the magazine tube.Thus any measures ensuring the definite alignment of the single-servingunits inside the magazine tube can be eliminated.

[0012] In particular, according to claim 3 such rotation-symmetricalidentification may be an ID code consisting of concentric circles,whereby the usual linear reading heads can be used. If the ID code is amulti-digit binary code, just four concentric circles are sufficient toreliably identify a great variety of coffee types.

[0013] If the single-serving unit consists of a capsule with a mainlycircular base, according to claim 4, the identification as defined aboveis applied to the base in a coaxial manner. If the single-serving unitconsists of an essentially lozenge-shaped pouch with an upper and alower surface, the identification is applied to each surface in acoaxial manner. Therefore it does not matter, with regard to the machinereading of the identification, whether the upper or the lower surface ofa pouch is facing downwards when the pouches are inserted into thestorage magazine.

[0014] Apart from coffee type identification, the identification on anysingle-serving unit may also contain producer identification, wherebythe latter in conjunction with an adapted evaluation system forcontrolling the espresso machine can block operation of the espressomachine if the producer identification on the single-serving unit doesnot correspond to the machine's preprogrammed producer identification.

[0015] As mentioned above, an uncomplicated system for the registrationof the machine readable identification on a single-serving unitaccording to the invention may consist of a registration device with atleast one reading head able to read in a linear manner. The reading headcomprises a reading sensor consisting of a transmitter scanning aluminous spot on the identification or part thereof, and of a decoderreceiver. The latter may be equipped with a controlling device wherebythe setting, particularly that of a magazine unit, can be controlled inorder to convey the single-serving units containing the desired coffeetype into the dispensing position.

[0016] According to claim 7 the linear reading head is located in acompact and secure position below the magazine tubes of the magazineunit. The reading head is directed upwards towards the plane where thebases of the single-serving capsules are positioned within the magazinetubes, in such a way that the rotation-symmetrical identification on thebase of the respective lowest single-serving capsule can be read.

[0017] Furthermore, the carrier of a system whereby the magazine tubesare positioned on a carrier and may be conveyed together with thatcarrier, if desired, is provided with a transparent section at least inthe area below the magazine tubes so that the base of any single-servingcapsule can be scanned. The transparent section may be designed inparticular as a radially positioned slit-shaped window.

[0018] A scanner and a transparent section may be provided below eachmagazine tube. This type of configuration ensures that theidentification of all single-serving capsules in the lowest positioninside each magazine tube can be read in a parallel manner. Based on therespective registered positions of the capsules containing various typesof coffee, the magazine tube whose lowest-positioned single-servingcapsule contains the selected coffee type is then conveyed to thedispensing position.

[0019] However, according to claim 9 it may also be sufficient toprovide one reading station with just one scanning head for all magazinetubes, whereby the reading station is positioned before the dispensingstation in the conveying direction, at the conveying path of thosesections of the carrier that are able to move together with the carrierand are transparent so that the identification can be read. In this wayit is possible to check if a single-serving unit containing the desiredcoffee type is conveyed into the dispensing position, whereby conveyanceis controlled according to the stored positions of the single-servingcapsules containing the various types of coffee.

[0020] The invention can be used to great advantage in a compact systemaccording to claim 11, whereby the magazine tubes are arranged in amainly circular manner on a turntable serving as carrier. AMaltese-cross-type drive mechanism is positioned below the turntable andis connected to the latter via an actuation connection. The turntable isadjustable whereby its adjustment may be controlled via the registrationdevice containing the reading head/s for reading the identification ofthe respective lowest single-serving capsule within the magazine tubes.

[0021] As mentioned above, the rotation-symmetrically constructedidentification on a single-serving unit is suitable for testing via asimple testing procedure according to claim 12. According to thisprocedure, the ID code consisting of concentric circles is essentiallyread in a linear manner across its greatest diameter, formed by a firstradius and a second radius, whereby the identification read across thefirst radius is compared with that read across the second radius. If theID code is registered correctly, the two identifications read separatelymust concur. Otherwise an espresso machine designed to carry out testingmay be blocked for safety reasons.

[0022] Design types of the invention are described below by means of thedrawing, whereby additional characteristics and advantages may result.

[0023]FIG. 1 shows the lateral view of a single-serving capsule,

[0024]FIG. 1a shows a view of the base of the single-serving capsuleaccording to FIG. 1,

[0025]FIG. 2 shows the lateral view of a pouch

[0026]FIG. 2a shows a view of the upper or lower surface of the pouch

[0027]FIG. 3 shows in a partial cross-section, the lateral view of asystem with a magazine unit as well as with a registration unit, and

[0028]FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the system according to FIG. 3.

[0029] Basic unit assembly groups that do not immediately serve toregister the identification on the single-serving units used here arenot shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.

[0030]FIGS. 1, 1a and 3 show a single-serving capsule 1 of anessentially frustoconical design arranged in a rotation-symmetricalmanner around a symmetrical axis 1 a.

[0031] An ID code 3 consisting of concentric circles is shown on thebase 2 of the single-serving capsule 1, whereby the symmetrical axis 1 aof the single-serving capsule passes through the centre point 4 of thecircles.

[0032]FIGS. 2 and 2a show a pouch 5 containing one serving ofpre-pressed coffee powder whereby the pouch, with the exception of itsedge 6, is essentially lozenge-shaped. The pouch 5 with its edge 6 arearranged in a rotation-symmetrical manner around a symmetrical axis 5 a.The lower surface 7 as well as the upper surface 8 of pouch 5 isprovided with an ID code 9 consisting of concentric circles andextending in a rotation-symmetrical manner around the symmetrical axis 5a.

[0033] A system with a magazine unit 10 suitable for storingsingle-serving capsules 1 is described below-by means of FIGS. 3 and 4.A magazine unit-for pouches may be similarly designed.

[0034] The magazine unit 10 essentially consists of a turntable 11whereby magazine tubes 12 to 16 are arranged on the turntable in anapproximately circular manner. Each magazine tube is designed to hold astack of single-serving capsules 1 whose bases 2 are each facingdownwards, whereby each of the magazine tubes 12 to 16 containssingle-serving capsules containing one of several available coffeetypes. Each magazine tube is provided with an ejection opening 17adjacent to the outer edge (no reference number given) of the turntable11, whereby the respective single-serving capsule 1 that is in thelowest position is ejected by means not described here through themagazine tube opening 17 that has been rotated to a dispensing position,i.e. dispensing station 18.

[0035] In order to move the selected magazine tube 12 to 16 to thedispensing position 18 for the purpose of removing a single-servingcapsule, a Maltese-cross-type drive mechanism 20 is positioned belowturntable 11 and is coupled with the latter. The Maltese-cross-typedrive mechanism essentially consists of a driving motor 21 with a drivemechanism 22 and a Maltese-type driving pin 23 on a disc 24 that isconnected to the drive mechanism. The Maltese-type driving pin ispositioned in such a way that it is able to engage between two flankseach of the Maltese-type drive mechanism, whereby one of these flanks 25is firmly connected to the turntable 11 or is formed as one unittogether with the turntable.

[0036] The Maltese-cross-type drive mechanism 20 is mounted below theturntable 11 on a support frame 26 which also serves as mounting ofturntable 11.

[0037] The support frame 26 also carries a reading head 27 mainlyconsisting of a scan transmitter and an encoder receiver. Reading head27 is pointing from below towards the turntable 11 in such a way that itis able to register and scan the single-serving capsules stacked withtheir base facing downwards inside the magazine tubes 12 to 16 when themagazine tubes are moved across the reading head 27. For this purpose atleast part of turntable 11 is transparent to the scanning of the IDcode: windows 29 located below the magazine tubes 12 to 16 are designedas slits and are each arranged at equal radial distance to a main axis30 of turntable 11, cf. FIG. 3. The ID codes 3 on the bases 2 of thesingle-serving capsules can be registered across their greatest radiusr₁ and r₂ through these slits, according to FIG. 1a. In this case IDcode 3 is being registered on entering and on leaving the readingstation when the base 2 of the capsule, equipped with the ID code,passes on its circular path across reading head 27 arranged in front ofdispensing station 18 in the direction of rotation 28 of the turntable.It is thus guaranteed, via comparison of the two registered ID codes aswell as via data processing, that only one single-serving capsule 1containing the desired coffee type is conveyed to the dispensing station18, once the desired coffee type has been selected, for example by meansof a control panel or a knob.

List of Reference Numbers

[0038]1 single-serving capsule

[0039]2 base

[0040]3 id code

[0041]4 centre point

[0042]5 pouch

[0043]6 pouch edge

[0044]7 lower surface

[0045]8 upper surface

[0046]9 id code

[0047]10 magazine unit

[0048]11 turntable

[0049]12 magazine tube

[0050]13 magazine tube

[0051]14 magazine tube

[0052]15 magazine tube

[0053]16 magazine tube

[0054]17 ejection opening of magazine tube

[0055]18 dispensing station (or position)

[0056]19 capsule ejection slit

[0057]20 Maltese-cross-type drive mechanism

[0058]21 driving motor

[0059]22 drive

[0060]23 Maltese-type driving pin

[0061]24 disc

[0062]25 flank of Maltese-type drive mechanism

[0063]26 support frame

[0064]27 reading head

[0065]28 direction of rotation

[0066]29 slit-shaped window

[0067]30 main axis

1 Machine readable identification on a single-serving unit containingcoffee powder for espresso machines, characterised by the fact that theidentification is rotation-symmetrical and is located on a mainly levelsurface of the single-serving unit. 2 Machine readable identificationaccording to claim 1, characterised by the fact that the single-servingunit is essentially rotation-symmetrical around a symmetrical axis (1 a,5 a), whereby the identification is positioned in a rotation-symmetricalmanner around the symmetrical axis as well. 3 Machine readableidentification according to claim 1 or 2, characterised by the fact thatthe identification comprises an ID code consisting of concentriccircles. 4 Machine readable identification according to claims 1 and 2and/or 3, characterised by the fact that the single-serving unit is asingle-serving capsule (1) with an essentially circular base (2)whereupon the identification is applied in a coaxial manner. 5 Machinereadable identification according to claims 1 and 2 and/or 3,characterised by the fact that the single-serving unit is an essentiallylozenge-shaped pouch (5) with an upper (8) and a lower (7) surface, eachof which is provided with the identification that is applied in acoaxial manner. 6 System for the registration of a machine readableidentification on a single-serving unit containing coffee powder,especially a single-serving capsule, according to one or several ofclaims 1 to 5, characterised by the fact that the system includes aregistration device with at least one reading head (27) able to read ina linear manner. 7 System according to claims 1 to 4 and 6,characterised by the fact that the system includes a magazine unit (10)with several magazine tubes (12 to 16) each intended to holdsingle-serving capsules (1) containing various types of coffee powder,and that the reading head (27) able to read in a linear manner ispositioned below the magazine tubes (12 to 16) and is directed upwards,towards a plane where the bases (2) of the single-serving units (1) arelocated inside the magazine tubes (12 to 16) in such a way that theidentifications can be read in a linear manner. 8 System according toclaim 7, characterised by the fact that the magazine tubes (12 to 16)are located on a carrier and can each be conveyed, as selected, togetherwith the carrier to a dispensing position (18), and that the carrier isprovided with transparent sections located below each magazine tube (12to 16) for scanning the base (2) of the single-serving capsule (1). 9System according to claim 1, characterised by the fact that for allmagazine tubes (12 to 16) only one scanning head (27) is provided at areading station that is located in front of the dispensing station (18)at a path of movement of those sections of the carrier able to movetogether with the carrier that are transparent I order to read theidentifications. 10 System according to at least one of the claims 5 to9, characterised by the fact that the magazine tubes (12 to 16) arearranged in an essentially circular manner on a turntable (11) servingas carrier and that a Maltese-cross-type drive mechanism (20) ispositioned below the turntable (11) whereby the drive mechanism (20) isconnected to the turntable (11) via an actuation connection. 11 Systemaccording to one or several of the claims 5 to 10, characterised by thefact that adjustment of the carrier or turntable (11) can be controlledvia the registration device.
 12. Testing procedure for a machinereadable identification on a single-serving unit according to claims 1to 3 and also 4 or 5, if applicable, within a system according to claims6 to 9, characterised by the fact that the ID code (3) consisting ofconcentric circles is essentially read in a linear manner across itsgreatest diameter formed by a first radius (r₁) and a second radius(r₂), and that the identification read across the first radius (r₁) iscompared with the identification read across the second radius (r₂).